Apple's Siri made a big splash when the wisecracking digital assistant debuted on the iPhone five years ago. But as other tech giants jockey to build intelligent "chat bots" and voice-controlled home systems capable of more challenging artificial-intelligence feats, Siri at times no longer seems cutting edge. On Monday, Apple is expected to demonstrate an upgrade to Siri's smarts as it kicks off its annual software conference. It's a potentially momentous time for the company; sales of its flagship iPhone are slowing, and AI is emerging as a key tech battleground. Apple, Google, Facebook and others are racing to create digital services that consumers will find indispensable for shopping, chatting, controlling other appliances and simply getting through their daily lives.

We met up with Régis Vincent, Head of Software at SRI Robotics, a unit of SRI International, which is a non-profit, independent research centre serving government and industry. Located in Menlo Park at the heart of Silicon Valley, SRI International runs projects for government agencies, notably the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) – the US Ministry of Defence agency which develops technologies for military use – as well as private sector players, both large firms and startups – intended to develop disruptive innovations. The stated aim of SRI International is to move R&D from the laboratory to the marketplace. SRI is hardly a household name, but the organisation has nevertheless been behind a large number of the devices which we now use in our daily lives. Since the research centre was founded 65 years ago, its engineers have been closely involved in the development of such innovations as colour television then colour photographic film in the 1950s, ultrasound for medical diagnostics in the 1980s, computers as we know them today, Arpanet, a 1960s precursor to the Internet, and more recently Siri – the first-ever virtual personal assistant, later acquired by Apple.

Which are the ripest areas for startups to disrupt using machine learning? At the core, machine learning/artificial intelligence relies on two key ingredients: advanced algorithms and data sets to train those algorithms. Novel algorithms are increasingly making their way into the public domain in the form of open-source libraries. So, the key differentiator for startups and ultimately long-term competitive advantage is access to proprietary data sets. In the consumer world, there are natural and intrinsic monopolies at play.

Last month, Google took the stage in Mountain View, California, to show off improvements to its digital voice assistant. Its signature ability is to have a conversation with it like you would a normal person. You can ask "Google Assistant" what's on your schedule and then have it text the person you're meeting to say you'll be late. Google remembers your first question, so you don't have to start over with a new command. Like a real person, it builds off what you were talking about earlier.

This sounds like science-fiction, I know, but so did talking to a digital assistant in a powerful pocket-sized touch screen computer fifteen years ago. As the data has shown the current, "warehouse of apps" app model does not work efficiently with human behavior. The 2014 Comscore Mobile App Report shows that 7% of the smartphone using population downloads 50% of the apps. When incorporated into the rest of the population that averages to just one download per user per month. This data is supported by app discovery activity data that reveals a mere 27% of the smartphone using population (millennials) uses the app store to discover apps as shown in the 2015 Comscore Mobile App Report.

She was a 22-year old aspiring model from Brooklyn. Searching for a way to crack into the industry, she turned to ModelMayhem.com, a website that connects freelance models to casting agents, photographers and others in the business. She flew down to Miami to meet the agent she had met online and, upon her arrival, he drugged and raped her. Her brutal assault was filmed and posted on the porn website Miami's Nastiest Nymphos. She awoke bruised and disoriented in a motel room with no knowledge of how she got there.

Artificial Intelligence and machine learning were the big themes at last week's Code Conference, just like most of the similar conferences I've attended this year. It's a topic on everyone's mind, driven by huge advances in hardware, such as GPUs, FPGAs and custom-built ASICs; software, such as deep learning neural nets; and applications such as natural language processing, image recognition, and conversational assistants. These themes were echoed by just about all of the speakers at the show, with a number commenting on the rapid advances in the field. Asked about AI in part of a broader conversation, Bill Gates said it is the big dream for anybody who has ever been involved in computer science. "It's the most exciting thing going on right now," he said.

That's something to talk about. The key players in tech are all racing to develop the most accurate, conversational, and useful Artificial Intelligence products. Advancements, breakthroughs, and acquisitions in the AI space are happening at a rapid rate, but what does that mean for us? Life could get a whole lot easier, but there will certainly be costs that come with the conveniences. Keep reading to learn more about where the development of Artificial Intelligence is at, where it's going, and what this means for consumers, companies, and culture.

USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham asks a few iPhone users how a Siri update could change their experience when using an iPhone. A link has been sent to your friend's email address. USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham asks a few iPhone users how a Siri update could change their experience when using an iPhone.

Apple is gearing up to give fans and investors a peek at what's next for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company. Starting on June 13, Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, will give the firm a chance to share updates on the iPhone, Mac, Siri and more. As usual, WWDC comes on the heels of Google's own developers conference, during which the search giant emphasized its advancements in artificial intelligence. Apple is expected to make similar announcements, including improvements to Siri that would make the virtual assistant more useful. Here's a look at what Apple might reveal during its opening keynote, set for June 13 at 10 a.m.